糖心原创

Faculty of Engineering
 

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Simone Morra

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering

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Biography

Simone is a graduate of the University of Torino (Italy) where he obtained his BSc in Biology (2007), MSc in Biomolecular sciences (2009) and PhD in Science and high technology, curriculum bio-chemistry (2013). In the period 2008-2016 he worked in Torino with Prof Gianfranco Gilardi FRSC and Dr Francesca Valetti focusing his research on enzymatic and fermentative bio-hydrogen production, being involved in several European and regional research projects and collaborating with local companies and international partners (Dr Paul King, NREL, USA). Simone then moved to the UK and worked at the 糖心原创 on artificial metalloenzymes with Dr Anca Pordea (2016-2017). He was then awarded a Marie Curie individual fellowship (2018-2019) to work with Prof Kylie Vincent at the University of Oxford, where he applied advanced infrared (FTIR) spectro-electrochemical techniques to metalloenzymes. Simone re-joined the 糖心原创 as a Nottingham Research Fellow in 2020 and was appointed as Assistant Professor in May 2023.

Teaching Summary

I teach CHEE3010 Biochemical engineering and CHEE2010 Analytical measurement. I also contribute to year 1 practical laboratories (chemistry) and MEng projects.

Research Summary

[FeFe]-hydrogenases are redox metallo-enzymes that catalyse hydrogen (H2) reactions at high turnover rates, reversibly and very efficiently. My research aims at understanding and controlling reaction… read more

Selected Publications

  • TIN POU LAI, WILLIAM K. MYERS, STEPHEN B. CARR, MIGUEL A. RAMIREZ, KYLIE A. VINCENT, SIMONE MORRA and PATRICIA RODR脥GUEZ-MACI脕, 2025. ACS Catalysis. 15(22), 19216鈥�19226
  • SARAH E CLEARY, STEPHEN J HALL, REGINA GALAN-BATALLER, TARA C LURSHAY, CHARLOTTE HANCOX, JAMES J WILLIAMSON, JOHN T HEAP, HOLLY A REEVE and SIMONE MORRA, 2024. ChemCatChem. e202400193
  • MORRA SIMONE, 2022. Frontiers in Microbiology.
  • MORRA, SIMONE, DUAN, JIFU, WINKLER, MARTIN, ASH, PHILIP A., HAPPE, THOMAS and VINCENT, KYLIE A., 2021. DALTON TRANSACTIONS. 50(36), 12655-12663

Current Research

[FeFe]-hydrogenases are redox metallo-enzymes that catalyse hydrogen (H2) reactions at high turnover rates, reversibly and very efficiently. My research aims at understanding and controlling reaction mechanisms in [FeFe]-hydrogenases to enable sustainable processes (both in vitro and in vivo) such as H2 production. My research group works at the interface of biology, chemistry, and engineering to deliver advances in industrial biotechnology for novel green hydrogen technologies.

ORCID:

I am a member of the Food, Water, Waste Group and the Energy Institute at Nottingham.

Future Research

I welcome enquiries from potential PhD candidates from Home, EU and international countries who are interested in the following research areas: enzyme discovery and characterisation, protein engineering, protein chemistry/biochemistry, biocatalysis, industrial biotechnology and microbiology.

  • DEPALA, ANJALI, LACHMANN, MANON T., MORRA, SIMONE, BIRRELL, JAMES A. and RODR脥GUEZ-MACI脕, PATRICIA, 2025. Chemical Communications. 61(33), 6178 鈥� 6181
  • OGUNTOMI, SUNDAY O., AJUNWA, OBINNA M., CALVIO, CINZIA, CONTE, PELLEGRINO, GALLUZZI, MASSIMILIANO, LOW, SZE SHIN, MORRA, SIMONE, PAN, RUN, WANG, DEXIN and MARSILI, ENRICO, 2025. Journal of Power Sources. 653,
  • TIN POU LAI, WILLIAM K. MYERS, STEPHEN B. CARR, MIGUEL A. RAMIREZ, KYLIE A. VINCENT, SIMONE MORRA and PATRICIA RODR脥GUEZ-MACI脕, 2025. ACS Catalysis. 15(22), 19216鈥�19226
  • VALETTI, FRANCESCA, MORRA, SIMONE, BARBIERI, LISA, DEZZANI, SABRINA, RATTO, ALESSANDRO, CATUCCI, GIANLUCA, SADEGHI, SHEILA J. and GILARDI, GIANFRANCO, 2024. Faraday Discuss.. -
  • SARAH E CLEARY, STEPHEN J HALL, REGINA GALAN-BATALLER, TARA C LURSHAY, CHARLOTTE HANCOX, JAMES J WILLIAMSON, JOHN T HEAP, HOLLY A REEVE and SIMONE MORRA, 2024. ChemCatChem. e202400193
  • BOMBANA, A., SHANMUGAM, M., COLLISON, D., KIBLER, A. J., NEWTON, G. N., J脛GER, C. M., CROFT, A. K., MORRA, S. and MITCHELL, N. J., 2023. CHEMBIOCHEM. e202300250
  • MORRA SIMONE, 2022. Frontiers in Microbiology.
  • ASH, PHILIP A., KENDALL-PRICE, SOPHIE E. T., EVANS, RHIANNON M., CARR, STEPHEN B., BRASNETT, AMELIA R., MORRA, SIMONE, ROWBOTHAM, JACK S., HIDALGO, RICARDO, HEALY, ADAM J., CINQUE, GIANFELICE, FROGLEY, MARK D., ARMSTRONG, FRASER A. and VINCENT, KYLIE A., 2021. CHEMICAL SCIENCE.
  • MORRA, SIMONE, DUAN, JIFU, WINKLER, MARTIN, ASH, PHILIP A., HAPPE, THOMAS and VINCENT, KYLIE A., 2021. DALTON TRANSACTIONS. 50(36), 12655-12663
  • ARIZZI, M., MORRA, S., GILARDI, G., PUGLIESE, M., GULLINO, M. L. and VALETTI, F., 2021. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS. 14(1),
  • MINERDI D, SADEGHI SJ, PAUTASSO L, MORRA S, AIGOTTI R, MEDANA C, GILARDI G, GULLINO ML and GILARDI G, 2019. Biochimica et biophysica acta. Proteins and proteomics. 1868(1), 140268
  • MORRA S and PORDEA A, 2018. Chemical science. 9(38), 7447-7454
  • MORRA, SIMONE, VALETTI, FRANCESCA and GILARDI, GIANFRANCO, 2017. RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI. 28, 183-194
  • MORRA, SIMONE, ARIZZI, MARIACONCETTA, VALETTI, FRANCESCA and GILARDI, GIANFRANCO, 2016. BIOCHEMISTRY. 55(42), 5897-5900
  • MORRA, SIMONE, MONGILI, BEATRICE, MAURELLI, SARA, GILARDI, GIANFRANCO and VALETTI, FRANCESCA, 2016. BIOTECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY. 63(3), 305-311
  • MORRA, SIMONE, MAURELLI, SARA, CHIESA, MARIO, MULDER, DAVID W., RATZLOFF, MICHAEL W., GIAMELLO, ELIO, KING, PAUL W., GILARDI, GIANFRANCO and VALETTI, FRANCESCA, 2016. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS. 1857(1), 98-106
  • ARIZZI, MARIACONCETTA, MORRA, SIMONE, PUGLIESE, MASSIMO, GUILIN, MARIA LODOVICA, GILARDI, GIANFRANCO and VALETTI, FRANCESCA, 2016. WASTE MANAGEMENT. 56, 151-157
  • POLLIOTTO, VALERIA, MORRA, SIMONE, LIVRAGHI, STEFANO, VALETTI, FRANCESCA, GILARDI, GIANFRANCO and GIAMELLO, ELIO, 2016. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY. 41(25), 10547-10556
  • ZITELLA, PAOLA, LA LICATA, BARBARA, BOULANGER, ALEXIA, CUZZOLA, VINCENZO, MORRA, SIMONE, VALETTI, FRANCESCA and GILARDI, GIANFRANCO, 2016. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT JOURNAL. 15(9), 2049-2056
  • MORRA, SIMONE, VALETTI, FRANCESCA, SARASSO, VERONICA, CASTRIGNANO, SILVIA, SADEGHI, SHEILA J. and GILARDI, GIANFRANCO, 2015. BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY. 106, 258-262
  • MORRA S, CORDARA A, GILARDI G and VALETTI F, 2015. Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society. 24(12), 2090-4
  • MORRA, SIMONE, ARIZZI, MARIACONCETTA, ALLEGRA, PAOLA, LA LICATA, BARBARA, SAGNELLI, FABIO, ZITELLA, PAOLA, GILARDI, GIANFRANCO and VALETTI, FRANCESCA, 2014. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY. 39(17), 9018-9027
  • MORRA, SIMONE, GIRAUDO, ALBERTO, DI NARDO, GIOVANNA, KING, PAUL W., GILARDI, GIANFRANCO and VALETTI, FRANCESCA, 2012. PLOS ONE. 7(10),
  • MORRA, SIMONE, VALETTI, FRANCESCA, SADEGHI, SHEILA J., KING, PAUL W., MEYER, TOBY and GILARDI, GIANFRANCO, 2011. CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS. 47(38), 10566-10568

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